Busy clinic outgrowing Freehold trailer

[Marc LeVine]

I can't say that I am pleased that people from New Brunswick, Lakewood and Lakehurst are availing themselves of these services. I think the program should be limited to the two Freeholds, unless these other towns want to help out financially. otherwise, those other towns should be looking to themselves for their own answers.

Marc


Busy clinic outgrowing Freehold trailer

Demand is high for health center that serves those without insurance
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/26/07
BY NICK PETRUNCIO
FREEHOLD BUREAU

FREEHOLD — At 6:02 Thursday evening, 13 people jammed the designated waiting area inside a trailer housing the Paul M. McGuire Family Health Center at 12 Avenue A.

"We're outgrowing this. It's like this every Tuesday and Thursday," said Joyce Jenkins, the center director and a nurse practitioner at Monmouth Medical Center who volunteers here six to nine hours a week.

The health center, which is in a trailer no bigger than 40 by 12 feet, has been providing services to people with no health insurance since it opened just over two years ago, on Jan. 21, 2005. The center will hold a volunteer recognition dinner at 6 this evening at New Beginnings Agape Christian Center, 133 Throckmorton St.

"We want to recognize our volunteers for the great work they've done this past year," said the Rev. Ricky Pierce, chairman of New Beginnings' community development corporation, which runs the health center.

More than 20 volunteers work at the center. They include doctors, nurses and language interpreters. A medical director, a receptionist and a maintenance person are the only ones who get paid.

Dr. Lookman Odejobi has been the medical director since May. He said the majority of the patients are Hispanic.

"In that population we see a high incidence of diabetes and hypertension," Odejobi said.

Many times, he has to refer them to specialists such as eye or foot doctors at Monmouth Medical in Long Branch or CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township. Those hospitals have their own charity programs, he said.

The center has treated more than 425 patients and has had more than 1,000 visits. Its services include glaucoma, gynecology, dermatology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, immunizations, physicals and primary care.

CentraState provides lab services for the center at no cost, and pharmaceutical companies donate medication.

Veronica, a 35-year-old mother from Lakehurst, has used the center's services for nearly two years. Jenkins asked that Veronica's last name not be used.

Veronica needed a tooth extraction, a procedure not offered by the clinic. Instead of turning her away, the clinic paid a Freehold dentist to do the work and Veronica agreed to pay the clinic back.

"The clinic paid to have her tooth extracted," Jenkins said. "She's going to pay us as she can."

Veronica, who takes care of two children while her husband works construction jobs, came to the United States about four years ago from Mexico City. Jenkins said she can pay as little as $2 a week.

"It's not something we offer to everybody, but she has a history with us," Jenkins said. "We trust her."

Jenkins said most of the people come from throughout Monmouth County, and there is a large Portuguese population that comes from Lakewood. Also, the center had a large group coming from New Brunswick, but the taxi ride probably got too expensive, she said, adding that many of the patients take taxis to the center.

[adefonzo]

As I have said before, it's good sometimes to back through some of the older threads to bring up topics that have been sitting dormant for a while.

Sometimes it's good for bringing up old converstions that were lighthearted and fun, and sometimes the issue of the thread may have gone unresolved while our attention was diverted elsewhere, so it's good to revisit it. And of course, sometimes, history repeats itself, and we can find how things went in the past.

Well...this was one that I came across while "trolling" today, and I was wondering if anyone knew whether or not this clinic was still operating? I drive through the area by Ave A all the time, but I can't recall seeing a trailer there in some time. Perhaps they shut down? Perhaps they moved into a larger facility?

If anyone happens to know...please let us all know. I'll see what I can find out myself.

[fiberisgoodforyou]

Luckily for you, your worrying ccan now stop..
Health care center moves from trailer to new offices
Facility's directors call upgrade significant milestone
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/1024/Front_Page/003.html

adefonzo said:

As I have said before, it's good sometimes to back through some of the older threads to bring up topics that have been sitting dormant for a while.

Sometimes it's good for bringing up old converstions that were lighthearted and fun, and sometimes the issue of the thread may have gone unresolved while our attention was diverted elsewhere, so it's good to revisit it. And of course, sometimes, history repeats itself, and we can find how things went in the past.

Well...this was one that I came across while "trolling" today, and I was wondering if anyone knew whether or not this clinic was still operating? I drive through the area by Ave A all the time, but I can't recall seeing a trailer there in some time. Perhaps they shut down? Perhaps they moved into a larger facility?

If anyone happens to know...please let us all know. I'll see what I can find out myself.

[adefonzo]

that would explain why the trailer is gone...though I could swear it has been gone for longer than a month and a half...then again, it could just be that my memory is off.

Well, I wish them luck in their new location. I can never knock doctors who are willing to give their time for free to help others...and according to the article "The health care center is open to anyone who wishes to seek assistance.", which means if I happen to need some help, I am happy to know that this is an option for me as well.

[Libyan Sibyl]

yes, this is the same charity that our tax payer money went to. You know, the Rev. MacGuire's personal charitable organization. No matter how noble the charity is, remember that the money was not borough council's money to give. Their hands went into the taxpayer's pockets, not their own private pockets.

You may think that this is a harsh analysis and that this clinic does good work. I do not doubt that good work is done by good people, but I think it is bad policy and sets bad precedent.

I wish the town would give money to my favorite charities (then council could take credit for how magnanimous they are).

[adefonzo]

Whoa...hold the phone!!!

I was not aware that the Town Council contributed to this!!!

I will have to call the Freehold Boro Education Foundation to make sure the Boro is making a charitable donation to them as well!!

[richardkelsey]

libyansybil said:

yes, this is the same charity that our tax payer money went to. You know, the Rev. MacGuire's personal charitable organization. No matter how noble the charity is, remember that the money was not borough council's money to give. Their hands went into the taxpayer's pockets, not their own private pockets.

You may think that this is a harsh analysis and that this clinic does good work. I do not doubt that good work is done by good people, but I think it is bad policy and sets bad precedent.

I wish the town would give money to my favorite charities (then council could take credit for how magnanimous they are).

Giving money from the taxpayers to charitable organizations is not a great idea in my opinion -- opposite some compelling single event.

If the Borough does do so -- they should have a comprehensive policy and criteria that guide those decisions. (Maybe they do)

Part of that criteria should be -- in my opinion -- that any charitable organization making a request for money, or one a Council member designates for giving, should certify that none of the money used will be used to provide aid, assistance, or services knowingly to illegal aliens.

[admin]

adefonzo said:

Whoa...hold the phone!!!

I was not aware that the Town Council contributed to this!!!

I will have to call the Freehold Boro Education Foundation to make sure the Boro is making a charitable donation to them as well!!

I could be wrong but I believe both the Borough and the township pitch in and helped the trailer out.

I believe part of the advantage to this is that it gives people who need help a place to go without having to go to Centrastate, thus easing the hospitals burden.

[Libyan Sibyl]

admin said:

adefonzo said:

Whoa...hold the phone!!!

I was not aware that the Town Council contributed to this!!!

I will have to call the Freehold Boro Education Foundation to make sure the Boro is making a charitable donation to them as well!!

I could be wrong but I believe both the Borough and the township pitch in and helped the trailer out.

I believe part of the advantage to this is that it gives people who need help a place to go without having to go to Centrastate, thus easing the hospitals burden.

Brian, you are right both Twsp and Borr put in equal amounts. Marc in this thread was dismayed that the clinic is bringing in people from not just other Monmouth County towns, but from Ocean and Middlesex as well.

Postings here about the contributions, though relatively small - $7,500:
freeholdvoice.proboards46.com/index.cgi?board=anythingfreeholdborough&action=display&thread=1163027130

CentraState is a private hospital - not a borough hospital, not a county hospital. It is not the borough's obligation to ensure CentraState's profits.

Brian, you should hand in your libertarian card, and I will contact the republican's to make sure you are black-balled as well.

[admin]

Sorry LS, I should have been more clear. I meant that giving people an alternative to Centrastate had been one of the stated reasons for the trailer in previous news articles.

Regardless of political philosophy, the health care system is a mess. People with out insurance are up the creek without a paddle. The costs of health care are way too high and what bothers me about politicians talking about it is that none of them are talking about reducing costs. Government run health care is one of the scariest things out there and I am dead set against it.

If the people were not going to the trailer, they would probably go to centrastate. If they can not pay, those costs get past on to others. That is not an endorsement, just the way it is.

Recently I saw a good example of how expensive heath care is when one of my co workers had to stay in the hospital for two days due to an allergic reaction. All they did was stick and IV in his arm and stick him in a bed for that time. The cost? Ten thousand dollars. That is sick! Lucky for him, he has insurance. What if he did not?

[admin]

and PS, that thread you re posted was a good read.

[Libyan Sibyl]

yes, Brian, that thread I mentioned that a lot of those free or low-cost health services would be be going to illegals. The article at the top of this thread proved my point:

Veronica, who takes care of two children while her husband works construction jobs, came to the United States about four years ago from Mexico City. Jenkins said she can pay as little as $2 a week.

[admin]

www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/NEWS01/712190365/1004

The APP finally caught up with this story. read it carefully.

FREEHOLD — In its old home, space was a scarce commodity at Paul M. McGuire Family Health Center.

Physicians, patients and interpreters would cram into one of the center's two examination rooms during visits. Patients would spill out of the waiting room into the parking lot, especially during summer months, when the room would become uncomfortably hot. Doctors and nurses shared one small office.

But thanks to $72,000 worth of grants, the health center ? which relies on grants and donations ? recently has been able to move from its original 40-by-12-foot trailer to 1,534 square feet of office space downtown.

"We were so confined. We were one on top of the other," said Ramona Pappas, a longtime volunteer at the center.

I Beseech Thee Community Development Corp. opened the health center Jan. 21, 2005. The original clinic began in a trailer on Avenue A in the parking lot of New Beginnings Agape Christian Center, which is affiliated with the development corporation.

At its new Broad Street location, the clinic offers free glaucoma, gynecology, dermatology, ophthalmology, pediatric, immunization and primary care services for the uninsured. Thanks to contacts in the local medical community, patients also can visit specialists if they need more attention or resources than the clinic can give them.

As the center's popularity has grown, so have the ambitions of its staff.

The center operates two nights per week, with some Wednesday hours for specialized services such as gynecology. Director and nurse practitioner Joyce Jenkins would like to add another night to accommodate people seeking medical care. Jenkins also hopes to begin offering dental services such as cleanings, extractions and preventive care.

"That (dentistry) was something we wanted to do, but we just didn't have the room," Jenkins said.

To open the facility, I Beseech Thee received grants from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, the Mary Owen Borden Foundation, the American Medical Association and United Way of Monmouth County. Funding also came from an agreement in which the development corporation has to provide services to the Freehold and Freehold Township boards of health, said the nonprofit group's chairman, the Rev. Ricky Pierce Sr.

"It (the new facility) gives the opportunity to expand our services," Jenkins said.

The clinic moved to its new digs, at 25 Broad St. in Boro Plaza, between Throckmorton and Stokes streets, in October.

The new facility has two examination rooms and an intake room that Jenkins said will be converted into a third examination room. A room toward the back is waiting to be outfitted for dental care, which will happen once funding is raised for equipment such as a dental chair, a light, a portable suction unit and drills. One dentist has already agreed to volunteer time, Jenkins said. She is on the lookout for a dental hygienist.

The new facility also has two bathrooms and two offices, versus one of each in the trailer. And the waiting area is larger, with room for a table full of donated items and space for children to play, as they did on a recent Tuesday night.

"It's a nice building," Freehold resident Regina Michaca, 35, said, speaking in Spanish.

About 85 percent of the clinic's patients are Hispanic, Jenkins said.

Michaca visited the center with a friend, who had an appointment to be seen.

"Excellent," she said when asked her opinion of the clinic. "(The center is) a good service for the Hispanic community."